I have found no reference to Joseph O’Neale Sr. anywhere except in the History of Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1881. I am trying to determine if this is factual information or not. The information found on page 503 in particular and in the book in general is troubling because it contains a lot of inaccuracies, but does that mean the reference to Joseph Sr. is erroneous?

I only show Joseph Sr. here, listed as a family member, because of what I see in other online genealogies. I keep seeing John Joseph O’Neal, b 09 Oct 1749, d abt. 1807. (The birth date, by the way, comes from the Bennett O’Neal letter)

Excerpts from William Emmett Reese The Settle-Suttle Family Fannie Lu Camp Fisher, 1974, page 578:

Judy Settle, daughter of Isaac and Jane Settle, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, March 1776; she died in Washington County, Ohio, 13 September 1869, and was buried in Belpre Cemetery.
She was married, first, by the Reverend John Swindler in Culpeper County, Virginia, 8 April 1794, to John O’Neale*. He was born apparently in Virginia, 1770, and died in Belpre, Washington County, Ohio, 1810.
Her second marriage was in Washington County, Ohio, circa 1812, to James Russell. He was in Litchfield, New Hampshire, 1746, and died in Belpre, Ohio, 1821.
In 1810, John O’Neal and family emigrated to Washington County, Ohio, where he lived until death. In the United States Census for Washington County, Ohio, 1850, Juda Russell, age 74, born in Virginia, is shown living with her son, Colbert O’Neal.
Issue by the first marriage (All born in Culpeper County, Virginia):
Jane, b. 1795; d. near Bourneville, Ross County, Ohio, 24 October 1866; mar. William Campbell, whose father was born in Scotland, and whose mother was a McArthur, 2 April 1816, issue, Daniel, mar. Sarah Ann Mullin; John, mar. Hannah Moats; Duncan; Nancy, b. 14 September 1821, mar. Duncan McArthur, who d. 1850; Mragaret, mar. Camben Cutright; Effie, d. unmarried; Colbert, d. young; William, d. young; Mary Jane, mar. Sanmuel Moats; Judy, mar. Willis Parker; James P.. mar. Cornelia Beltzer; Elizabeth, mar. Arthur F. Burt; Matilda, mar. Peter Dick; and Christina.
Joseph b. 14 Septemeber 1800; d. in Belpre, Ohio, 17 February 1840; mar. Eunice Cole, issue, Joseph Leroy of Belpre; Ezra H. of Colorado, John C. of Belpre (1836-1924); George; Philip D., and Angenora B. (1842-1926).
Colbert, b. 1805; d. in Belpre, Ohio, September 1900; mar. Sarah Dwight Dana, issue, Foster; Amanda, mar. Thomas Rowland; Edwin Russell, b. 2 October 1839, mar. Nancy J. Scott, daughter of Wm. Scott, issue, Joanna O. and William R., who became Postmaster, Winter Park, Florida, and Treasurer of Rollins College.

Note from The Settle-Suttle Family book by William Emmett Reese:

*Known as Joseph in a History of Washington County, Ohio, by Williams Bros. Possibly his name was John Joseph and he was known as Joseph, although his marriage license in Culpeper County, Virginia, was issued in the name, John O’Neale.

(Note: Notice that neither the birth date nor the death date match John. And, the tombstone date of 1810 shown in the book doesn’t match the the 1807 given in the same book.)

So, this is where the John Joseph O’Neal comes from, a guess by William Emmet Reese. Not really proof. We don’t know where John is buried, so this could be his grave, although he seems to have died in Virginia and therefore didn’t move with the family to Ohio. It’s stated he emigrated in 1812 yet he is shown as dying in either 1807 or 1810. His oldest son’s name was Joseph so maybe they thought that John was Joseph Sr. or his middle name may have really been Joseph. I believe in using what we know, not what we think. So it’s John O’Neal, not John Joseph O’Neal.